Management of complications associated with totally implantable ports in patients with AIDS

Morbidity associated with totally implantable ports is common in patients w ith acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). More than half of the impla nted devices will have at least one complication before its removal or the patient's death. Infectious complications are the most frequent. Two patien ts are reported here in whom staphylococcal infection of the totally implan table port occurred; one of the devices could be saved through the antibiot ic lock technique. Infectious complications of totally implantable ports oc cur more commonly in patients who are neutropenic or who have low CD4 cell counts (<25 cells per microliter). When patients have chamber infection (th e most frequent infectious complication) with or without secondary bacterem ia, the antibiotic lock technique has proven useful for device sterilizatio n.